Corner shops have been the lifeblood of communities for centuries but the government report has only given them a 10 year shelf life. BARRY ELLAMS found that Chester and its districts are bucking a national trend.

THE ink on the corner shop obituary has long been dry.

More than a decade ago super-store managers and journalists were writing off the humble community shop swept along by the supermarket revolution.

Marketing terms such as 'convenience', 'sphere of influence' and 'cheaper products' were meant to put the sword to independent retail chains and we were told to kiss the corner shop goodbye.

A new exhibition at the St Michael's History and Heritage centre, Chester recalls the halcyon days of the corner shop made famous by Ronnie Barker in Open All Hours.

Curator Elaine Pierce Jones explained: 'Most corner shops were somebody's front room converted into a shop. They sold a myriad of things from a loaf of bread to a bundle of wood. Everyone knew each other - they would be a focal point for the community.'

And yet - buffeted by advertising campaigns and the looming spectre of internet shopping - the corner shop has survived - just! Now the government has given the corner shop a shelf life of 10 years.

Government figures show that 2,000 independent stores disappear every year and have forecast extinction by 2015.

Independent store numbers fell by 7% last year while sales fell by 5% as supermarket chains continue to take over high streets.

Independent wholesalers will be forced to shut down which will in turn push smaller shops out of business according to the report.

The UK convenience store sector - valued at £24billion - has had to sell its independence to bigger franchises to survive.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Independent stores in Chester are highly thought of by the sub-urban communities that depend on them.

Local shops recently topped a list of accessible community services scoring 8.6 out of 10 compared to supermarkets which scored 7.6.

After consulting a number of corner shopkeepers across the districts The Chronicle can reveal that many independent traders feel that business is comfortable. Chester has a loyal customer base happy to pay for the 'personalised' corner shop.

Charlie Seward, Chester City Council Regeneration Manager, explained: 'Shops in the suburbs of Chester play a vital role and are indispensable to some people.

'There is always scope for local shopping although the nature of it will change and we are working with the communities to ensure that they can adapt.'

He added: 'One concept that is being explore is where local pubs double up as a local community centre and post office.

'Consultants are looking at retail areas across Chester and districts with the view to enhancing retail facilities supplying their own communities - I have to say that we are not aware of any areas in significant decline.'

The message coming from independent stores is safety in numbers. Isolated shops are more exposed whilst clusters of shops such as in Faulkner Street and Charles Street in Hoole, which feed a loyal local customer base have kept flourishing.

Charlie Seward said: 'Retail districts like Hoole serving densely populated areas are very successful and we are looking at why that is.'

Grassroots shopping is alive and kicking in community-minded areas such as Hoole, according to Cllr Barry Sullivan .

Mr Sullivan, who is joint owner of Sullivan and Allen Fine Foods on Faulkner Street, said: 'We are very well supported by the community and people outside the community who come for the diversity of the shops.'

He added: 'We have a level of customer service that cannot be matched in supermarkets. Seventy per cent of our customers we know by name.

'We have got the footfall of a lot of people living in and around and who visit all day. People still go shopping around supermarkets but reserve a portion of their spending for local shops.'

'It is difficult to imagine Hoole's strengths being jeopardised by supermarkets.

He added: 'There is more housing and more people coming into the immediate area - with the relo-cation of council staff effectively to the top end of Hoole Road and the developments in Northgate we will have a significant number of people working within 10 minutes of Hoole.'

Garden Lane is an area whose community is battling to restore its struggling shops back to their former glory.

The Garden Lane Residents Association backs community events involving traders such as last year's VE Day commemorative parade.

Cllr Janet Black explained: 'Garden Lane is suffering - we lost our Post Office two years ago which was closed down.'

She added: 'I think that the community though is being very supportive.

'I would like to see planning applications making shops into housing in Garden Lane resisted - there should also be more encouragement and stimulation for enterprises given a helping hand for the first two years.'